Until Next Time
by DarkBelieverAnge
Summary: the war has been over for three years. everyone has gone on with their lives and some very bad assumptions have been made thoroughout the three years. love conqueors all, though. see how it helps katara and zuko. please r&r. rated t for some scenes
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: One-shot time!!! Whoop!!!**_

_**Now, here we go!!**_

_**Disclaimers: I don't own Avatar: Last Airbender**_

It was almost winter time in the Fire Nation. That meant that the days would get shorter, and the nights would get longer. Everything changed at the winter festival. It was as if the firebenders were giving their powers over to the waterbenders, but no one said anything. It had been three long years since Ozai was imprisoned. Peace ruled throughout the Fire Nation, and the people were happy. They were prospering without the threat of war. All the nations were at peace.

Zuko sighed as he saw the fires lighting up all around the city. He watched the festival from his balcony, just like he used to when he was a kid. He smiled as he heard laughter come from the streets. Sometimes he wished that he could just be like his people. They had no worries now that the evil had been terminated from the world. They were all innocent again, but they were learning to accept other ways of the world. Zuko had made sure of it.

"What are you doing?" Mai's voice called out. Zuko turned and frowned at her. Mai had dressed in her royal robes. She looked like she was going to meet someone in the dark. Not that she hadn't before, Zuko mused silently.

"Just watching," he said and pointed to the festival. Mai came and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek then rose.

"I am tired. I am going to bed," she said. Zuko nodded, distracted by the commotions that the people were making. After a year and a half of marriage, they had settled into a routine. He would leave her alone, and she would leave him alone. It was truly a royal marriage. They had married for "love" at the beginning, but soon it had turned dry. Everything with him was the same. It was boring. Day after day he would stay in the council chambers and discuss matters with his most trusted advisors. Mai would never know what went on in those discussions, because she would be to busy listening to the gossip of the women of the court. The women were useless and boring. This lifestyle was almost like that of her parents' household. No wonder she took a lover. Zuko hadn't touched her in six months, so she didn't know what he was doing. He seemed to consumed with his work to even notice her anymore. What she found suspicious was the pendent he wore around his neck. She never saw it, but she knew he wore something. What it was, she knew that it meant something dearly to him.

She walked out of his rooms and went down into the servant's hallways. Her lover would comfort her. He always did.

Zuko sighed in relief as he heard the door shut. She would find the man that she called a lover and have sex with him until dawn. She would have a huge smile on her face in the morning, so she would be in a good mood.

_Great,_ Zuko mentally said to himself. He suddenly found the palace to dank and crowded for him. He looked around for the guard patrol and smiled to himself. He went into his closet and got some peasantry clothing. He quickly dressed himself. He went back out onto the balcony and laughed softly. All of his guards were at the festival. He smiled and leaped over the edge. He was free for just a short while. That was all he needed.

He made his way down the streets and quickly got a mask. The winter festival was a masquerade focused on the lovers of the season. Fire Nation legend said that the reason why the seasons changed was the fact that two lovers had been forced to separate. At spring, they would meet again. But winter was always the time that they were forced apart. He smiled grimly. He knew what that was like. He had to say goodbye to the one he loved three years ago. She had said goodbye to him as well, but it hadn't helped. They had exchanged tokens, and had shared one kiss. And something more than that. That had meant the world to him. She hadn't been his first, not by a long shot, but he had been hers. He had held her for a long time after they were done and had told her stories of his childhood. She had smiled against his chest and had told him her dreams and wishes for the future. At the dawn, they had separated.

Zuko sighed and rubbed his hair. She had meant the world to him, and still did. He wondered, as he always did, what she was doing now. She was never far away from his thoughts. She was always there when he could never think about anything else. When he stressed out, he always fingered the pendant that she had given him.

"_For you to remember me by," she said. He fingered the blue stone lovingly and looked at her._

"_This is really all we can do, isn't it?" he said. She had nodded and started to cry. He had given her his wrist band and his fire stone._

"_Legend says in the Fire Nation, that the one who possesses the fire stone of a firebender has his heart. It's for you to carry with you," he said. He brought his hand up to her cheek and cupped it. She smiled sadly into his eyes._

"_I love you," she said. He had nodded and had said his goodbyes. She had stood there until he disappeared from her sight._

Katara was always on his mind. Even though they would never be together, she was always in his heart.

Shortly after they had separated, Aang had proposed to her. Zuko and Mai had gone to the wedding. Katara was beaming with joy. Zuko smiled tightly, but kept his emotions in check. If she could be happy, then he could be too. He didn't speak to her privately at all because he didn't trust himself when he would be alone with her. He would do something that she didn't need to happen. Zuko had gotten through the wedding somehow. He probably had drawn enough strength from his ancestors. That was the only reason that he could think of. His aggressive firebending and arrogant personality would have done something that he could regret. He would regret anything because it was her. That's why he never told her again what he felt for her.

That didn't keep him from wondering. It had been one year, three months, two days, three hours and five minutes since they last saw each other. (**Not that he was counting**). He would stare out into the middle of the night, especially on a full moon. He smiled as he remembered how Katara had put him in his place when they had been up in the North Pole. She was one of the only benders that could do that to him and get away with it. Not that he could retaliate anyway. She would beat him up even worse the next time. But that was Katara.

It was almost daybreak when Zuko crawled into bed. He groaned and shifted. Sleep eluded him, just like everything else. It was getting annoying because of the fact that he couldn't sleep because of memories. He was the Fire Lord, and he was thinking about another man's wife. He had such a hard time getting to sleep sometimes that he pulled all-nighters. He couldn't afford that, not with a meeting with the Earth Kingdom at noon. Thank his ancestors that the Earth Kingdom citizens didn't get up until late morning. Sighing contentedly, Zuko drifted off into an uneven sleep.

Katara sighed as she watched the staff of the Fire Palace. They hustled and bustled to get work done, each oblivious to the other. One of the matrons of the staff looked directly at Katara. The matron had a long red robe on and her graying hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She had leggings on under her robe as a way to move quickly and quietly throughout the halls.

"Come, you have bathing duty today," she ordered. Katara blinked mentally. What did the woman mean by that?

"I do not have all day. Come along," she said. The matron smiled to herself. She knew who the waterbender was. Everyone knew because of the looks that passed between her and the Fire Lord discretely. Everyone knew that the couple had feelings for each other. Most of the staff loved the waterbender because she thanked them. The Fire Lady was not so lucky. She would become violent if some of her demands were not met. Everyone avoided her room like the plague. Well, everyone except her lover. The Fire Lady had taken a lover when the Fire Lord had decreed that he would not become intimate with her. The servants had rejoiced. Many had been there to witness the fight between the Fire Lord and the banished princess. Everyone saw how the Fire Lord had thrown himself in front of the waterbender. She had healed him, but the fates had thrown them apart. Well, the staff being dedicated to the Fire Lord would help ensure his happiness.

Katara followed the matron, curious as to what the woman would have her do. The woman made her way up some back stairs. Katara caught a glimpse of mai coming out of one of the servants rooms with a huge smile on her face.

"What is the Fire Lady doing down here?" she asked. The matron stopped and gaped at her.

"You did not know?" she asked confused. She regained her composure quickly. "The Fire Lord and Fire Lady have not shared a bedchamber since the first anniversary. The Fire Lord told the Fire Lady to 'get her sadistic pleasures elsewhere.' He remains loyal to the love of his inner fire."

"What?" Katara asked. She was getting confused. The matron sighed loudly again.

"The waterbender that saved the Fire Lord is the one who holds the key to his heart," the matron declared romantically. Katara just stood there immobilized. Then she started remembering everything.

She and Aang had arranged a wedding front so that Aang could marry Toph in secret. Soon, word was let out that the waterbender and airbender wedding had been a fake. Everyone was surprised, but quickly got over it because they saw how much Aang and Toph meant to each other. Katara had smiled in happiness, until she had heard that Zuko had married Mai. Katara's whole world froze over when she had heard that announcement. Everyone else had rejoiced because they all thought that Zuko had really loved mai. Katara had gone off on her own and cried.

"_I don't love her," he said. They were cuddling by the fire that he had created. He kept staring into the flames. Each different color revealed a new side to his past and personality. "I was raised to adhere to tradition. I don't know if I can anymore." He looked at her and smiled grimly._

"_I can't see myself without you," he said truthfully. "This happiness should go with me. I can't just leave it here." She wiped the tears from her eyes and took off her necklace. She took off her grandmother's necklace. She took the ends and untied them and expanded the necklace with some red cloth. She smiled as she put it over his head and onto his neck. He fingered the necklace and just looked at her. A moment later he dug in one of his pockets. There was a deep sunset colored stone in his hands. It had a long metal chain attached to it. It was a necklace. He took it and put it around her neck._

"_This stone has been passed down in my family for generations," he said. "Legends tells that when a firebender gives this stone to the one that they love, the two lovers are intertwined forever. I'll always be with you."_

"_Everything's going to be different now, isn't it?" Katara asked him. He just nodded. Katara started to say something, but didn't ruin the moment. They stayed that way until sunrise._

Katara smiled at that memory. She couldn't believe that he had actually thought that she had married aang, though. Whatever she could do, she had to make it right.

"Young lady," the matron snapped. Katara looked up. "This way." Katara nodded and ran silently to catch up with the matron. They went through a series of corridors until they made it to some bathing chambers. The matron looked at Katara.

"All you have to do is change the water and bathe the person in there. Can you handle that?" she snapped. Katara nodded. The matron nodded and then left. Katara never noticed the smile on her face.

Katara inched into the chamber. There was a huge bath in the middle that went into the floor. Steam was everywhere. She could barely make out what was in the room, but she knew someone else was in there.

"Hurry up, woman! I have a meeting with the Earth Kingdom representative in less than an hour!" Zuko's voice snapped from the bath. Katara turned scarlet when she saw all of his muscle ripple when he moved. His scar on his back had improved, she noticed, but it was still white. She smiled mischievously and grabbed the water bucket. She made the water ice cold and dumped it all on him. He jumped out of the bath and grabbed her before she even had time to laugh. He froze when he saw her face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a barely audible whisper. She smiled.

"The Avatar and his wife, Toph the earthbender, are on an extended honeymoon. It's their second one," she said. He just stared at her, comprehending what she said, and then kissed her senseless.

She was keenly aware of his state of undress. He put her up against the wall and stopped kissing her.

"You have way to many clothes on," he said. He exposed her shoulder and sprayed kisses along her collar bone. She smiled to herself and let herself fall under his love…

About an hour and a half later, they both emerged from his rooms fully clothed. He smiled tenderly at her. She looked at him in confusion.

"Aren't you married?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"It's an extended engagement. The council never approved of Mai. They never told us that, and let us get married. I learned six months ago that the wedding was a farce. Suffice to say, Mai doesn't know that yet," he said. Katara nodded and took his hand. He put his arm over her shoulder and held her close to him. She took the arm that was pressed up against him and put it around his back.

"Why did we have to wait so long?" she asked. He smiled.

"We both are very stubborn," he said. He looked at her then. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the Earth Kingdom representative," she told him saucily. He laughed and held her closer, if that was at all possible. She smiled at him. They both went to confront the council together.

"This is an outrage!" one of the older members yelled. Zuko had told them of his plans to put Mai out of his life and to make Katara his Fire Lady. "We will never allow such a thing!"

The older members of the council were strictly against the suggestion. It went against tradition and old beliefs. They were stuck in the traditional culture and had their heads in the sky. The younger members sat in silence as they saw their liege go up against tradition itself in order to have the one he loved.

"SHE WILL BE THE FIRE LADY!" he roared. The old one's suddenly closed their mouths. The matron that had helped Katara early that day came into the room. She sat at the head table for the women's court.

"We of the women's council have decided," she proclaimed. She eyed each and everyone of the old men. "She is fit to become Fire Lady." The men gaped at her. She smiled triumphantly and sat back. Zuko eyed all of the older gentlemen.

"My rule has been one and just, even though I am a young Fire Lord. This woman has made me who I am," he said. He grabbed her hand and held onto it for dear life. "She has always been the reason why I have worked so hard for what I do. She may not be an official royal in the eyes of society, but her father is the chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. She is royal, by all standards, including the Fire Nation's." the young men of the council cheered and clapped for the Fire Lord. The old men, who were outnumbered, sat back and grumbled. This young man was nothing like his father or grandfather. They would never let him know that they respected him because of that. None of them had truly been loyal to the previous Fire Lords, but terror had told them to back down. Many of the older gentlemen remember the tales of the Avatar and how the Avatar would liberate the world from evil. They realized, slowly, that it was not only the Avatar who had to make changes; everyone in the world had to cooperate with them. The Avatar was the symbol of hope, but it was the people who had to want the change within them.

"Fine," the leader of the older members grumbled. He raised his hand. "All those in favor say 'aye.'"

The decision was unanimous. Zuko smiled as he looked into Katara's eyes. She smiled a light smile at him.

"Now, we have to deal with Mai," she said. He smiled grimly. He looked at her tenderly.

"I can deal with anything," he said. He looked ahead. "As long as I have your love, anything is possible."

_**A/N: Well, that was the first chapter out of three. I'm plotting for some more action. Mai will not go down willingly. But, anyways, tell me what you think. I love reviews. Until next time!**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Now on to the Second Chapter**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar… if I did, Zuko and Katara would be together living happily ever after… (Starts wishing for the impossible)**_

Chapter Two

Katara grimaced as she was cornered by all the women staff in the palace. They all brought her into the steaming hot kitchens. They sat her down on one of the many kitchen stools and all smiled at her. The elderly lady that had spoken up for her in the council room came up and smacked her.

"What took you so long?" she asked Katara. Katara looked at her confused. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes as she watched the girl try to figure out what she meant.

"What took you so long to come back to him? After everything you two had gone through to free us, you just slipped out of _our_ lives. Young lady, you can do that to him, but when you win the hearts of the servants, you are ours for life," the old woman said. Every woman in the room nodded in agreement. She smiled as Katara became more uncomfortable with her surroundings. "I have to tell you something very important."

All of the women in the kitchen formed a barricade around Katara and the woman. The woman smiled and looked down at Katara.

"The supposed Fire Lady has a lover," she whispered. "It is against Fire Nation law for a wife to cheat on a husband. The husband can take a mistress of course, but the wife cannot. If she was caught, then the marriage would be annulled permanently. It was never actually a marriage; it was more of a betrothal. The law states that if the Fire Lord declares to the council that he has a new love, they must accept her. They have accepted you, and you two have an official unofficial marriage."

"What?" Katara asked. The old woman sighed in exasperation.

"The betrothal was broken the moment that the Fire Lord declared you his future Fire Lady. Now, all that is left is to move the hussy that is the betrothed out of the Fire Lady's quarters," the woman spelled out for her. Katara rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Let me handle it," she said and departed from the kitchen.

She and Zuko met up in his garden. He smiled when he saw her and showed her all of the different plants that he had been tending over the last three years. She had been amazed at how well he tended to them.

"For a firebender, I thought that you would have destroyed them. wow. I can't believe that you managed to do all of this," she said. He smiled and brought her against his chest. Her back was pressed right up to his chest. He put his face in her hair and breathed in her scent. He smiled and sat down on the grass. He brought her on his lap and began explaining his side of the story.

"My mother loved plants," he began. She smiled as she eased her head against his shoulder. "She would always make me come into this very garden and help her tend her flowers. Half of these plants were hers… she taught me everything she knew about plants. The gardeners allowed her to take care of the plants because they knew that she was better than they were. She said that plant tending ran in the family. She said that it was usually a tradition passed down from father to son, but she was the only child in her family. Her father taught her everything that she needed to know before he was sent off to war."

"You never knew your mother's family?" she asked him. He grinned at her. It wasn't one of his quirky grins either. It was a sad one. She reached up to his cheek and he smiled tenderly.

"My mom was always telling me stories about her life in the country. She was raised on a farm and knew how to do work. Her family was noble, but they didn't do much at court. Her mother made sure that she traveled to other nations during the winter season. They went to many places in the Earth Kingdom and went to family resorts. My mom told me that she was once in an Airbender temple. She said that it was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen," he said. He sighed and looked down at Katara. He smiled and pulled at some of her hair. "But, now, I have to disagree with her. I've seen every one of them and nothing compares to you." Katara blushed and smiled at him. He tightened his hold. "Tell me about your family." Katara laughed, but told him.

"My parents were a love match," she began. She looked up at him and he was just nodding. "They were childhood friends. They grew to love each other…" she paused long enough to take a deep breath. "When my mom died, my father slipped into his own world. He would never come out of it. He would just walk around in a daze. It wasn't until one of the men said that they were going to try to attack the Fire Nation did he start acting normal. He became consumed and obsessed with taking them down, but at least he was acting normal… that kept me going until I realized that he was going to leave. He and I got into a fight because I told him straight up that he was avoiding his responsibilities. He told me not to worry about it and go back to my own world. We didn't talk for a very long time after that."

"Wow," Zuko said. Katara nodded. Then she looked up at him.

"Why did your mom choose your father?" she asked him curiously. Normally, he would freeze up and avoid the question as long as possible. But, with Katara, he was so relaxed that he said the first thing that came out of his mind.

"My mom came to the city when she was eighteen. It was a whole new style of life. She was overwhelmed. Her mother's sister was here all the time and was accustomed to court life. My mother laughed when she told me that all she had to do was mask her true personality. She said that the people in the Fire Lord's court back then were manipulative and they devoured goodness whenever it came into effect. She said that it was a different world. She never liked my grandfather. She told me that there was something about him that always threw her off…

"But back to the story that you wanted to hear about. My mother met my father at a party in the early spring. She had been in court since fall. She was at a party of one of the council members and his wife. My father was there. He was nineteen at the time. He took one look at her and, as she tells it, wanted to have her. She eluded him for as long as she could, but she fell in love with him too. Her mother died before she married my father. When her mother was on her deathbed, my mother went to visit her. Her mother told her that whatever happened, she had to follow her heart. She said that special blood ran through her veins and that if anyone could survive, it was my mother. She said that my mother would have two children, one she would sacrifice everything for… I didn't know how much until the night that she left… but, she was happy in the beginning. It wasn't until my father became corrupt that everything went south in the marriage. She couldn't prevent it. My father was becoming crazier by the day. He was becoming consumed with taking over the world. She saw that as he did everything he could to become the heir to the Fire Lord title. She coped and raised me and my sister to the best of her ability," Zuko scoffed. "See what that's done for us." Katara got up and held her hand out to him. Zuko looked at her questioningly. She smiled and he grabbed her hand.

"I have something to take care of," she said. He nodded sadly and she smiled at him. "Do they continue the festival tonight?"

"Yes, they do," he said to her. She smiled and looked out at the huge wall. She smiled as her silent idea rooted into his head. He nodded. "Be in my room by nine at the lastest." He kissed her hand gently and went back to work. She smiled and went to do her job.

Katara made her way down to the servant's quarters. All of the women smiled at her as she passed them. She smiled and nodded back. They all gave her silent support when she needed it. She came to the door of Mai's lover and heard groans being emitted from inside. She braced herself and opened the door. Mai was on top of the guy naked and apparently in the middle of something very important. Katara coughed. Mai veered around and saw Katara. She glared instantly. She reached for a knife that was on the bed and threw it at Katara. Katara made a motion and the knife became frozen. Mai hissed.

"What do you want?" she sneered. Katara smiled menacingly.

"Get out of the Fire Lady's rooms," she said. Mai laughed.

"The only one who can say that is the true Fire Lady, and she's long gone," she said. Katara went in to punch her but was held back. She turned to see who held her back. An older female version of Zuko stood before her. She was in royal robes and her crown was on her head. She held herself up straight with all the grace of a woman who was the Fire Lady. The woman smiled and motioned for Katara to back off. Katara nodded wordlessly as the woman went into the room.

"Get out," she told the servant. He nodded immediately and scurried past Katara. He ran down the hallway butt naked. The woman came and looked right down at Mai.

"You are no longer the betrothed to the Fire Lord," she said. Mai almost paled, but spoke in an emotionless voice.

"Do you expect me to believe that you are truly the Fire Lady?" she asked. The woman sighed and showed her the mark that is given to women when they become the Fire Lady. It is a mark of the fire on the back of their forearm. Many are not allowed to see the mark because no one questions the ways of the Fire Lord and Fire Lady. Mai paled at seeing the mark.

"Azula said that you were dead," Mai choked out. "Azula said that the Lady Ursa was dead." Ursa smiled coldly and looked at Mai. Mai reached for a sheet and dressed herself quickly. Mai came up to Ursa. Ursa took her and motioned Katara to follow them. Katara shook her head in confusion.

Zuko was listening to the council members complain, yet again, about how the taxes were affecting them. Zuko had made new taxes that doubled on the rich and slackened for the peasants. When he tried to remind them that their wealth had accumulated for centuries, they chose to ignore him and rant. He put a hand to his forehead and rubbed it because of his headache. He was about ready to roar until someone did that for him.

"QUIET!" a familiar female voice boomed from the back. Zuko stood up and saw someone he hadn't seen in a very long time walk down to him with the woman he loved on one side and the woman who had made his life a living hell on the other. Katara was being guided by a hand gently on her shoulder while Mai was being tugged along by a stern hand. Ursa motioned for Katara to go to Zuko. She came up to him and smiled.

"What's going on?" he whispered. She smiled and leaned in to tell him.

"I was going to confront Mai and your mother beat me to the punch," she whispered back. "She came in to the room regally and told the servant to get out. She looked at Mai and Mai paled. She made us follow her here… I'm sorry." Zuko took her hand and smiled.

"Don't worry about it," he whispered against her ear. "They were complaining against the new taxes. I'll tell you about it later." She smiled and they got back to the problem at hand.

Ursa had gone to the head of the table and sat down. She nodded and smiled as Mai was forced to stay in the room. She motioned for all of the council members to sit and she looked behind her to Katara and Zuko. She nodded for them to sit down. So, Zuko sat and brought Katara into his lap. He sighed and put his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes. The tension in his body loosened and he breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and looked out at the council. They were all looking at Mai in contempt.

"How could you cheat on the Fire Lord?" they asked her. She frowned, but spoke in her toneless voice.

"He and I have an open relationship," she said. "We haven't had sex in over ten months. I have needs. He's so consumed with his work and memories that he doesn't even notice me anymore." She looked at the picture that Katara and Zuko made. It was as if they were in their own little world, and no one was allowed in. He was relaxed for the first time, ever, Mai realized. He never showed his emotions in public, but here he was relaxing with his arms around the waterbender. She sat as if to protect him from the world, and Mai was pretty sure that she had heard a sigh of relief. Then, he tugged Katara's braid. She turned and he smiled at her so tenderly that Mai wept inwardly. He had never done any of that with her, but he was showing that girl emotion.

She had seen them in Zuko's private garden. He allowed no one there, so it was a surprise that he let Katara come in with him. She had heard them talking about their families, and about everything under the sun. Mai had been jealous, but had gone to her lover for comfort.

"It is not my fault that he has always been in love with that peasant waterbender," she said. She saw out of the corner of her eye Zuko tense up. Katara immediately put a hand to his head and whispered something. He nodded and put his head back on her shoulder. Katara looked over at Mai with something akin to sympathy. She and the rest of the room waited for Mai to finish her statement. "I'm done with court life anyways. I want to travel the world again, so I'm giving him this back." She put the ring that he had given her on the table and started walking out the door.

"My stuff is already packed. I know where the door is," she said. She smiled sadly at them. "The duties of Fire Lady weren't meant for me anyways."

She left the palace. She wouldn't come back for almost five years…

A couple of nights later, Katara and Zuko were married quietly in the garden. His mother cried and hugged Katara tightly. Zuko kept her hand in his through everything. If he had to talk to some official, he would pull her along and have her listen. If she had to hear a complaint from one of the female workers, she would drag him along. They didn't separate until they got to their chambers. She walked into the bed and curled up. He came in and molded himself to fit snugly next to her. She smiled as she felt his warmth surround her.

"We should go see my father," she said. He nodded, but she could tell that his eyes were drooping. "We should go see Sokka, Suki and the baby. We should go see Uncle Iroh and Aang and Toph. We should go see…"

He cut her off by kissing her. He smiled when he lifted his head and found her blushing. He pulled her under him and smiled in anticipation.

"We will get to everything… just not tonight. Tonight we have bigger matters to attend to," he said. He started kissing her all over again.

_**A/N: Comments and reviews are welcome. It will conclude next chapter. =)**_

_**DarkBelieverAnge**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Wow. Two updates in one day. Coolness. But, on to the story.**_

_**Sorry if this one is shorter than the others…**_

_**It's an epilogue. I hope you like it!! =]**_

Epilogue

It had been ten years since Katara and Zuko married. They had three children. The oldest was a son who looked exactly like his father, but had his mother's skin tone. The youngest looked just like her mother, with her father's hair. The middle child was the special one, though. She had her father's hair and changing eyes. Her eyes would go from dazzling sapphire blue to golden amber within a moments notice. Everyone loved her eyes. Her grandmother repeatedly told her that it was the special blood that ran through their veins.

Toph and Aang visited often, with their twins. Both looked exactly like Toph, and had Aang's attitude. The twins would always play with Zuko and Katara's oldest son, being that they were all boys.

Sokka and Suki came to live in the palace. Zuko had been surprised. When he had asked why, Sokka had told him that Zuko needed a tactician and a soldier instructor. Suki started her own part of his army, at first without his knowledge. When he had found out, Zuko had just sighed. He didn't say anything, but it was approved by the council the next day. He just sighed and let everything in his life blow up. Almost, literally.

There was an incident when Sokka was experimenting with a "invention" that he created for the troops. It was a bomb that was "heat-censored" and it went off when Zuko walked by. Zuko was not very happy. Sokka never heard the end of it until Katara finally calmed Zuko down.

Katara had been a saving grace for Zuko. She had given him his soul back when she came back into his life. She gave him three beautiful, if not sometimes, troublesome, children. She had given him everything that he didn't even ask her to give. She had given him her soul.

For him, that was everything and beyond. It was enough. It was one of the many reasons why he loved her so much.

**The End**

**A/N: what did you think? It was a short but sweet epilogue. It was a short but sweet story. Well, if you liked this one look out for ****Past and Future Collide**** because it's going to be updated real soon.**

**Review and tell me what you thought.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**DarkBelieverAnge**


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